公开(公告)号：US20190118943A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-25

申请号：US15792490

申请日：2017-10-24

Applicant: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Inventor： James Thomas Machin ,  Robert Daniel Love ,  Michael David Stroup

IPC: B64C29/02

Abstract: Features for a tail-sitter aircraft having efficiently designed propulsive elements are disclosed. The aircraft may have a tail with landing mounts to support the aircraft in a vertical position for takeoff and landing. The aircraft may have a hybrid propulsion system including an electric power source, such as a generator and an electric motor, and a prime power subsystem, such as an internal combustion engine. The electric and prime power subsystems may be used controllably in varying amounts depending on the phase of flight, such as takeoff, horizontal flight, landing, or maneuvers. The aircraft may have blades with piezo elements to provide shape-changing capability to the blade. The shape of the blade, such as the pitch and/or twist, may be controllably changed for optimal efficiency with the blade depending on phase of flight. The blade shape may be changed from a rotor-like shape during takeoff and landing, to a propeller-like shape during horizontal flight.